


Falling

by HersheyOtaku



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HersheyOtaku/pseuds/HersheyOtaku
Summary: An alternate take on a scene from Rapunzel’s Return. After the Saporian’s ship exploded, what if Varian had reached Rapunzel first?Written for a request on Tumblr using the prompt Angst/Comfort Fuel: “I thought I lost you…”
Relationships: Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 103





	Falling

Varian had protested when Rapunzel used her hair to drop him on the rooftop, calling after her desperately as the ship soared away. But there was nothing he could do, she was out of his reach. Even though it should be _him_ on that ship, not her.

So now, all he could do was watch.

He watched as the ship soared high into the sky and erupted into green flames, watched as Rapunzel’s magical hair engulfed her just before the ship exploded with an ear-shattering boom, and watched as a shining cocoon of hair fell from the thick smoke.

Then her hair unraveled to stream like a long golden ribbon against the night sky, and she was _falling_. Varian gasped, his eyes wide with horror as she plunged past the rooftops and out of his line of sight. He didn’t know why her hair had failed to continue shielding her, but what he _did_ know was that if she wasn’t able to catch herself before she hit the ground…

An image of her prone form lying deathly still on the cobbled street flashed through his mind, making his gut twist with dread. So he leapt from the roof and ran. Ran until his breath left his burning lungs in short gasps. Ran until as his heart pounded painfully against his ribs. Ran until he came to the place where he’d seen her fall.

And there she was, kneeling on the ground _unharmed_ , her hair pooling around her in waves of gold. And Varian had never seen anything so wonderful in his life.

He nearly tripped over his own feet in his rush to reach her, tears of relief pricking the corners of his eyes. “ _Rapunzel_!”

The princess barely had time to look up before he was on his knees, his arms wrapped tight around her.

“I thought I lost you!” he sobbed, clinging to her, his gloved fingers twisting into the hair cascading down her back. Her hair, her wonderful _wonderful_ hair that had saved her from the Quirinian’s deadly blast, the hair she’d almost certainly used to slow her fall and land safely on the ground.

In hindsight, it seemed obvious that she would survive—she was _Rapunzel_. But when he’d lost sight of her he couldn’t help but fear the worst. And if that had come to pass…it would have been _all his fault_.

“Oh!” Rapunzel was surprised by Varian’s desperate embrace, but it only took a second for her to return it, sliding her arms around him as he shuddered against her. “Oh Varian…it’s okay,” she soothed him, her hand rubbing over his back. “ _I’m_ okay, I promise.”

Peeking out from Rapunzel’s hair, Pascal gave a soft squeak of agreement.

Varian took a deep, shaky breath, his face pressing into her shoulder. Just a few hours ago he would have scoffed at any promise Rapunzel made to him, but now her assurance was a soothing balm to his raw and frazzled nerves.

“Y-you should have let me do it,” he finally choked out, his voice muffled against her sleeve. “It was m-my mess, I deserve—“

“ _No_ ,” Rapunzel cut him off firmly, moving her hands to his shoulders to push him back so she could look him in the eye. “You do _not_ deserve to have _anything_ happen to you.” Then she smiled gently and cupped his cheeks, wiping away his tears with her thumbs. “You don’t have to do anything to prove yourself…I’m just glad to have you back, Varian.”

Varian stared at her, dumbstruck. After everything he’d done to her and her family, to her entire _kingdom_ , she was really willing to just…forgive him? And not just because she needed him?

His features softened into a look of pure wonder, and he brought one hand to cover hers on his cheek. She was… _amazing_. “Rapunzel, I—”

“Rapunzel!”

They both turned to see Eugene running towards them, Lance and Max right on his heels. And much like Varian before him, Eugene skidded to his knees and wrapped his arms around Rapunzel, though Varian was also caught in the hug due to his proximity. Then Lance came forward, and he lifted all three of them into a massive bear hug while Max draped his head over the lot of them, letting out a contented nicker.

As Rapunzel happily greeting the new arrivals, Varian sighed and allowed himself to relax into the warm embrace. There would be time to talk to Rapunzel later. For now…he was just happy to be forgiven.


End file.
